If You Ever Come Back
by hotchner077
Summary: Hotch/Prentiss SongFic Hotch tries to move on when Emily leaves him.


**A/N: Ok so I haven't posted or updated a story in way too long so I decided I had to change this. This is just a short little Hotch/Prentiss oneshot, songfic using the song "If You Ever Come Back" by The Script. Not my best but I needed to get back into writing mode so let me know what you think. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or its characters and "If You Ever Come Back" belongs to The Script.**

* * *

If you're standing with your suitcase

But you can't step on the train

Everything's the way that you left it

I still haven't slept yet

* * *

Hotch remembered it like it was yesterday, the day Emily left. He awoke that faithful day to find Emily's suitcase packed and lying beside their bed. He knew she wasn't gone yet, he had to stop her from leaving him.

_Hotch moved quickly down the stairs to find Emily sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast. When she heard him enter the room, she turned her tear-stained face to look up at his confused one. She knew that this was the hardest part, letting him go. _

_She slowly stood up and moved to stand in front of him. She could see the unspoken question in his eyes, "Why?" _

"_It's for the best," she started, noticing how shaky her voice sounded. "It wouldn't have worked anyway."_

_She watched as Hotch let the information sink in._

"_You're...you're leaving?" Hotch couldn't pronounce the "me" at the end of that sentence. It was too painful to even think like that. Surely this couldn't be happening._

"_Yes." Her answer came out harsher than she intended and she didn't miss Hotch facial features fall. _

_Hotch didn't understand what was happening. Everything was going great. Emily had moved in over a month ago and their relationship was getting serious. Hotch had finally introduced Emily as his girlfriend to his son and Jack had even asked recently if he could call Emily 'Mom'. What was he going to tell his son when Emily had gone? _

"_What do I tell Jack?" Hotch asked, bowing his head not trusting himself to look at her._

"_He probably won't even notice-"_

"_Of course he will, he loves you." Hotch interruption was barely audible but Emily clearly heard every word. She loved the little boy, she really did. But she wasn't ready for Jack calling her 'Mom'. She couldn't replace his mother and she wasn't ready to become any sort of mother figure._

"_Tell him...tell him that I'm gone away for work but I'll be back...soon," Emily suggested slowly. Hotch's head snapped up at this._

"_You're not leaving for good? You'll be back?" Emily could hear the hope in his voice and she knew it would be brutally dashed with his next words._

"_No Aaron, I'm not coming back..."_

* * *

Now they say I'm wasting my time'

Cause you're never comin' home

But they used to say the world was flat

But how wrong was that now?

* * *

Hotch had never really gotten over Emily leaving so abruptly that morning six months ago. Rossi had encouraged him to move on and try again with his rather flirty running partner Beth. Hotch had agreed to go out on a date with her, but he couldn't stop comparing her to Emily.

She was a brunette, but Emily had darker hair. Beth had nice blue eyes but Hotch couldn't get lost in them like he could with Emily's beautiful brown eyes. Where Beth was flirty and quite outgoing, Emily was subtle and witty.

Hotch had to admit that Beth was a lovely young woman and that she would make some man very happy. Just not him.

At the end of the night, he politely walked her home. He left her off at her house with a chaste kiss on the cheek, assuring her that he had enjoyed himself. He made sure however, to explain that he wasn't ready for a relationship at the moment but offered to stay as friends.

Beth had surprisingly agreed easily and he was relieved that she didn't think he was leading her on.

It was hard getting Rossi to accept that Beth just wasn't for him. Rossi thought he knew exactly what Hotch should do in this situation.

"_What do you mean she's not your type?" Rossi asked as he followed Hotch up the steps to the conference room._

_Hotch shrugged. "It just didn't feel right. She a lovely woman but I just couldn't see her any more than a friend." _

_Rossi huffed at this. "That's bullshit, Aaron. You just don't want to feel like that. Did it not feel great to get out for a date again?"_

_Hotch sighed. He had to admit that he did have a good time. It probably would have been a perfect date if he just stopped thinking about Emily._

"_I suppose I had a good time," Hotch said slowly. _

_Rossi grinned and slapped Hotch on the shoulder. Finally the man was seeing sense._

_Of course you did, Aaron. You've been moping around for too long, you need something to get your spirits up again. Beth is the answer. And it's time you got over Emily."_

_Hotch, who was simply going along with what Rossi was saying, stopped in front of Rossi and slowly turned to face him, glaring at his best friend._

"_You're wrong Dave," he whispered, just loud enough for Rossi to catch his words. "It takes a long time to get over someone you were in love with." _

I'll leave the door on the latch

If you ever come back, if you ever come back

There'll be a light in the hall and the key under the mat

If you ever come back

Hotch shook his head and tried to get back to the task at hand, paperwork. He usually found this a good escape from his thoughts. His focus was broken again when he heard someone fumble with the lock on the front door. He glanced up at the clock and decided that it was too early for Jessica to be bringing Jack home. But who else could it be?

He slowly got up and carefully made his way towards the door. Whoever it was knew where the spare key was, under the matt. Come to think of it, that was a rather dangerous place to leave the spare key. He hadn't told many people about it, in fact the last person he told was...No, it couldn't be.

The door opened, almost in slow motion to reveal the visitor. Hotch found himself staring into those dark brown eyes and his face broke into a smile.

"Emily..."

* * *

And it will be just like you were never gone

And it will be just like you were never gone

And it will be just like you were never gone

If you ever come back, if you ever come back now

* * *

**A/N: Leave a review, I always love all your feedback.**


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